School security officers outnumber counselors in four out of the 10 largest public school districts in the country – including three of the top five – according to data obtained by The 74.
New York City, Chicago, Miami-Dade County, and Houston schools all employ more security staff than counselors. New York City, Chicago and Miami-Dade are all among the nation’s five biggest school districts.
Not one of the top 10 districts, where counselors may be particularly beneficial for low-income students, meets the American School Counselor Association’s recommendation of one counselor for every 250 students – most weren’t even close. The nearest to the standard was Hawaii with 274 students for every counselor.
The 74’s analysis comes as the debate over school safety, classroom violence and the school-to-prison pipeline continues to dominate national headlines and inform federal policy.
“I’m not surprised, but it still concerns me really deeply,” Dennis Parker, director of the ACLU’s racial justice programs, said of the officer-to-counselor ratios. “It reflects an approach to school discipline and school safety that is ultimately counterproductive.”
School counselors’ roles vary depending on where they work, but often focus on helping students deal with academic, behavior, and social issues. High school counselors play a key role in helping students get into college.
There has been increased attention in recent years to the idea that schools contribute to overincarceration, particularly among students of color. Viralvideos of police officers assaulting students in schools has brought anger and outrage over cops using excessive force in classrooms.
Parker said that adding security to schools has led to some normal school infractions, like dress code violations, being handled by law enforcement rather than school staff. That can result in a student being arrested and having to appear in court.
Many school security officers receive minimal or inadequate training, particularly in dealing with special education students. As previously reported by The 74, the majority of states have no specific laws mandating that officers deployed to classrooms receive special training in dealing with children.
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